Fifteen years have passed since Our Lady first appeared at Medjugorje. What has Medjugorje meant to us since? A short answer would be: the source of true faith, prayer, fasting, conversion and peace. It would be enough to say that the little village between mountains in the rugged Herzegovina has been visited by tens of millions of pilgrims. They have been attracted by the mysterious “Woman from eternity” – the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is a challenge to our times, our rush, our intolerance and our acquisitiveness. The mother of all people shows a new life to the human race, points to love our neighbors, diverts us from hatred and enmity. Many have said that medjugorje is really a prophetic place. He who has once sensed its true faith is always homesick for this holy place. People get a feeling of security when they see the outline of the Medjugorje church of St James from the distance, when they see groups of pilgrims climbing Podbrdo, the hill of first apparition, and when they recognize the outline of the big stone cross on Mt Križevac on the horizon.
In March 1996, in her message on the Annunciation day, Our Lady invited us to discover the value of family prayer. In the prayer we will become humble in our hearts and souls. In her message in April 1996 she said, “Dear children. I invite you again to put prayer first and foremost in your families. Little children, when God is first and foremost, then you will look for God’s will in everything you do. In this way, your everyday conversion will be easier. Little children, humbly see what is wrong with your heart and you will understand what is to be done. Conversion will be the everyday task that you will do with joy. Little children, I am with you and I bless you all and invite you to become my witnesses with prayer and personal conversion. Thank you for answering my call.”
